Abbreviations

Unacceptable Abbreviations

By the early 2000s, health practitioners were witnessing a high volume of errors in interpretation of medical abbreviations and symbols. In 2005, in an effort to reduce these errors, the Joint Commission began to require its member hospitals and outpatient centers to avoid the use of certain abbreviations that were previously acceptable. (The Joint Commission is the foremost health care standards–setting body in the United States.) For example, the abbreviation “qd” once was commonly used, but today, you must write out the word daily. Unfortunately, you still may see these older, ambiguous abbreviations and symbols in clinical records or in use by practitioners who refuse to make changes necessary for patient safety.

The following table lists terms that have been noted to cause errors in interpretation or appear on the Joint Commission "Do Not Use" list. They should be written out completely to prevent medical errors. (For the complete list of “do not use” medical abbreviations, including any updates, see the Joint Commission’s website at jointcommission.org.) Your office should have a list of approved abbreviations for use in patient records and other documents.

Table 4.2 Unacceptable Abbreviations
Terms No longer acceptable Use instead
Ear terms AD, AS, AU Write out
Eye terms OD, OS, OU Write out
Discontinue and discharge D/C, dc, DC Write out
Subcutaneous SC, SQ subQ or subC
Every other day qod Write out
Daily qd Write out
Morphine sulfate MS, MSO4 Write out
Magnesium sulfate MgSO4 Write out
Microgram µg mcg or micrograms
Trailing zero X.0 mg Write X mg
Lack of leading zero .X mg Write 0.X mg
International units IU Write out
Units U or u Write out

If you are reading a medical order and have even a slight concern about what you are reading, verify the order with the prescribing physician.

Acceptable Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are still considered acceptable and frequently used in charting.